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How music videos taught me to say 'No'
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Jordan I. Cardoso, Executive Producer of Music Videos at Couscous, dives into what 'no' really means, and explains how being selective, even during hard economic times, can improve a company’s chances of success.
Saying no to money is always hard. But sometimes, it’s worth it.
In a strained economic situation, such as the one we currently find ourselves in, small- and medium-sized businesses are struggling more than ever to sustain themselves, their teams, and to maintain the same creative output they had pre-pandemic. They may be tempted to tackle every job that lands on their desk out of understandable desperation.
But should quantity overtake quality? Should we accept any contract in order to ensure a tomorrow in a struggling industry, or continue to maintain a selective positioning? Caught between a rock and a hard place, the question of when and how to say 'no' arises.
‘No’ promotes selectivity and allows you to focus on your unique supply, which can directly inform future demand.
Will a ‘no’ signal your career downfall? Or can 'no' be turned on its head, allowing room for ‘yes’? Yes to authenticity, to taking back valuable creative time, and yes to quality?
When a no really means yes
In communication, there is a divorce between 'yes' and 'no'. Whereas yes represents acceptance, no refers to a refusal, or even rejection. Within our economy - and with regard to the production of music videos, in my case - a negative answer is a means of selectiveness. Saying 'no' makes it possible to choose projects that contribute to society, our corporate identity and, most importantly, push our limits.
In many cases when creatives feel pressured to say yes to every project brought to them—to demonstrate that they are able to meet demand, no matter what—the quality of their own creative output and clarity of their storytelling tends to suffer.
‘No’ also opens doors for educational opportunities and ways to set boundaries with yourself and others. ‘No’ makes it possible to pivot a conversation from what you can’t do to what you can accomplish. Without explanation, ’no’ is direct to the point of dismissiveness, and can even hurt. When accompanied by an explanation, however, ‘no’ allows you to move forward and maintain a good relationship with people willing to hear you.
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Benny Sings: Not Enough
Love Supreme – Lonely Feelings
‘No’ promotes selectivity and allows you to focus on your unique supply, which can directly inform future demand. ‘No’ makes the positioning of your company clear and, with the help of effective communication, allows your dedicated clients and partners to avoid requests outside of your interests in the future.
It is imperative that companies reconcile saying both ‘yes’ and ‘no’; the first step is learning to say the latter, but the second - and the real challenge - is learning to accept and enact it.
As part of my EP activity at Couscous (where I am in charge of direct sales), I have to be able to say no when it benefits the company, but also when it benefits our directors and the production teams who work with us. Our clients often say Couscous has a 'magic touch'; I translate this to mean that people see an identifiable consistency through our projects. By curating the jobs we receive - and sharing that vision with our roster of directors and the teams who accompany us on each music video - we enable a harmonious mixture that clients identify as our brand. We only learned to accomplish this through a judicious balance between positive and negative responses to potential work.
Redefining Generosity
Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, speaks to how to work efficiently and stay focused by encouraging resistance to solicitation. He explains that the difficulty of measuring our individual contribution to work pushes us to say ‘yes’ without thinking. These constant Yes-Men may be creatives who want to show they are doing a lot, because they think they have no better way to prove their worth. In many cases when creatives feel pressured to say yes to every project brought to them - to demonstrate that they are able to meet demand, no matter what - the quality of their own creative output and clarity of their storytelling tends to suffer. Companies and creators should set their own mission and goals, and choose projects that align with those first and foremost, reinforcing their identities and the stories they want to tell.
Stromae – Quand C'est
The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar
In my own working experience producing music videos I’ve had to say no many times, but the end result was never negative. Despite my early nerves, saying no eventually ended up feeling like an act of generosity; a denial from us gives another company a chance at the job, while allowing us to spend more time on the projects that are most important to our goals and vision. The ability to concentrate fully on our most important work has become rarer and, therefore, more valuable. Whoever can say no to distractions gains a competitive advantage.
‘No’ makes it possible to pivot a conversation from what you can’t do to what you can accomplish.
A refusal is an expression of determination, courage, and even kindness. It is imperative that companies reconcile saying both ‘yes’ and ‘no’; the first step is learning to say the latter, but the second - and the real challenge - is learning to accept and enact it. In a world where we are constantly overextended and challenged, we end up standing out more by our willingness to say no, to take on only the most creatively compelling opportunities, and thereby allowing us to produce the kind of work we are proudest of for the rest of our lives.
